Positive feel actuator



Feb. 18, 1964 L. E. GALLAS posmvs, FEEL ACTUATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1960 INVENTOR. [60/20/1227 622mg 7 United States Patent 3,121,777 POSITIVE FEEL ACTUATOR Leonard E. Gallas, Chicago, 111., assignor to Control Switch Division of Controls Company of America, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 7,016 7 Claims. (Cl. 200-172) This invention relates to a positive feel actuator for electric switches of the snap action type and has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved actuator of this type.

It is a main object of the invention to provide a positive feel actuator through the operation of which the operating buttons of two or more snap switches can be operated simultaneously with the operation thereof definitely rfelt upon the operating plunger of the actuator.

Another object of the invention is to provide an actuator in which restoring force for the plunger of the actuator is included therein to permit restoration of the actuator independently of the restoring forces on the operating buttons of a plurality of snap action switches.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a positive feel actuator :for switches, an arm that is pivoted and engaged by spring means which move the arm over center and into engagement with the operating buttons of a plurality of switches with a snap action which can be felt on the operating plunger of the actuator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a positive feel actuator for snap action electric switches which can be manufactured at low cost without sacrificing quality.

Further objects of the invention, not specifically mentioned here, will be apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of the actuator with switches fixed therein;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational View thereof;

FIG. 3 is a back side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the actuator in normal position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the actuator in operated position;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the actuator arm of the actuator; and

FIG. 7 is a view along the line 77 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Oftentimes electrical circuitry requires that two or more snap switches be operated simultaneously. Snap action switches of known design used in such application include an operating button that is teles-coped into the housing of the switch to effect an operation thereof from one position to another. Such switches of known design are small and the movement of the operating button required to move the switch from one position to another is small and also requires but very little power. oftentimes it is difficult for the operator to definitely tell when the switch or switches have actually been operated.

The actuator of the present invention is what may be called a positive feel actuator in that it employs an over- 3 ,121,777 Patented Feb. 18, 1964 ice centering device which snaps from one position to an other as the operating plunger of the actuator is depressed. Considerable force is required to overccnter the actuator and as a result there is a positive indication to the opcrator that the actuator is overcentered. In one position the actuator maintains the switches in their normal position, and in the opposite position the actuator depresses the operating buttons of the switches to move the switches from normal to operated position. The actuator of the present invention contains within it means by which it is restored to normal position independently of the restoring forces on the operating buttons of the switches when pressure on the plunger of the actuator is removed.

In many instances two or more switches are required 0 to be actuated simultaneously or as near simultaneously as is possible. In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown by way of example, three switches are operated simultaneously, or at least the operating buttons of three switches are telescoped in the switch casings simultaneously.

The invention will be best understood by the accompanying drawings from which it will be seen that the actuator of the present invention consists of a U-shaped yoke having a closed upper end 19 from the ends of which side legs 11 depend. Three switches 12 are mounted in the open end of the yoke in convenient manner such as by rivets. The operating plungers 13 of the switches project upwardly therefrom.

Fixed to the upper portion 10 of the yoke is a collar 15 that is threaded to permit mounting the device upon a panel or escutcheon. The collar contains the usual slot 16 by which it is positioned with respect to the panel and held against rotation around its axis. The collar is fixed upon the yoke by projections 17 preferably three in number, spaced apart, which projections extend through perforations in the member 10 and are staked on the underside of this member, as indicated at 18.

The mounting collar 15 is hollow and an operating plunger 20 disposed therein and extended beyond the upper end thereof in the usual manner. A flange 21 on the plunger engages the inwardly projecting flange at the open end of the collar to limit the movement of the plunger outwardly of the collar. The coil spring 22 disposed within the collar abuts against the flange 21 on the plunger and against the upper surface of the yoke member 10 to force the plunger outwardly.

Each of the legs 11 of the yoke contain an elongated opening 25. An actuator arm, best seen in FIG. 6, is generally rectangular in shape and has projecting from the ends of one of its sides cars 26 which project into engagement with one end of the slot 25 to pivotally mount the arm in the yoke. The arm is a hollow rectangular member and the side 27 thereof, from the ends of which the ears 26 project, is inclined with respect to the horizontal, as will be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. The arm contains an upper horizontal side 28 which is joined to the side 27 by end portions 29 which are L-shaped and include a lower horizontal portion that joins onto the lower edge of the side 27.

The upper wall 11} of the yoke has projecting rearwardly from its rear edge a downwardly extending projection so from the bottom edge of which horizontally disposed lugs 31 extend inwardly towards the axis of the plunger. The upper horizontal portion 23 of the arm contains outwardly extending lugs 32, and rocker springs 33 are engaged between the lugs 31 and 32. As will be seen best in FIG. 4, the lug 31 on the yoke is disposed in the same plane as the point of engagement of the ears 26 with the ends of the slots in the legs of the yoke. It will also be noted that the upper horizontal side of the arm is disposed slightly above this plane. Projecting from the ends of this upper horizontal arm 28 are ears 34 which, as will be seen in FIG. 2, engage the upper edges 35 of the openings 25 in the legs of the yoke to limit the upper movement of the arm and thereby fix the distance that the upper horizontal portion 28 of the arm is above said plane.

Projecting inwardly from the upper portion 28 of the arm are spaced apart cars 40. Extending from the lower edge of the plunger 20 is a shank 41 which is either rectangular in cross section or is a cylinder having opposed fiatttened faces. The end wall 10 of the yoke contains a perforation of corresponding cross section through which the shank 41 projects, the flat faces thereon preventing rotation of the plunger with respect to the yoke and collar.

Projecting from the lower edge of the shank is a stem 42 which is of smaller dimension than the shank and which extends between the ears 40. The shoulder formed at the junction of the shank and stem bears against the upper surfaces of the ears when the plunger is moved downwardly thereby to rotate the arm on its pivot. A head 43, best seen in FIG. 3, engages the undersides of the cars 40 to move the arm upwardly.

In the embodiment shown by way of example, three switches are mounted in the yoke, and since the operating button 13 of the central one of these switches is aligned with the open portion of the arm, the inclined wall 27 of this arm contains an inwardly extending ear 44 that is positioned in alignment with the lower horizontal portions 29 of the arm and is aligned with the operating button 13 of the central one of the switches 12.

When pressure is applied to the plunger 20, moving that plunger downwardly, engagement of the shoulder with the upper surfaces of the ears 46 moves the arm 27 downwardly and overcenters it so that springs 33 snap it into engagement with the operating buttons 13 of the switches to telescope those buttons into the switch casings and thereby operate the switches. It will be noted that the length of the shank 42 is greater than the thickness of the cars 40, so that the arm may move ahead of the plunger as the spring overcenters. Downward movement of the plunger is limited by the engagement of adjacent convolutions of the coil spring 22 with each other in the manner shown in FIG. 5. When pressure is removed from the plunger 20, coil spring 22 expands, moving the head 43 into engagement with the ears 4% thereby to rotate the arm upwardly around its pivot until the springs 33 overcenter to completely restore the actuator into the position shown in FIG. 4.

In the drawings two springs 33 are shown. This number may be varied within the teachings of the invention and probably will be in case a larger number of switches are mounted in the yoke.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the actuator of the present invention is a snap action actuator and that through its operation the operator will have a definite indication that the actuator has overcentered and thereby operated the switches. The device of the present invention is of simple construct-ion and can be made and maintained in proper operating condition at low cost.

While I have chosen to show my invention by illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of it, -I have done so by way of example only, as there are many modifications and adaptations which can be made by one skilled in the art within the teachings of the invention.

Having thus complied with the statutes and shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I consider new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A positive feel actuator for simultaneously moving the operating buttons of a plurality of snap action electric switches to operate those switches, comprising: a U-shaped yoke in the open end of which the switches are mounted; a mounting collar fixed on the closed end of the yoke; an operating plunger extending through said collar and movable longitudinally thereof; an actuator arm mounted on the side legs of the yoke by pivots and extending between said legs; rocker spring means compressed between the end of said arm remote from said pivot and said yoke; said arm disposed between said plunger and said operating buttons for selective operative engagement with said plunger and said buttons in response to actuation of said actuator arm and under the influence of said rocker spring so that longitudinal movement of said plunger towards the switches moves said arm about its pivots and overcenters said spring means to snap the arm into engagement with the operating buttons of the switches thereby to operate the switches; said arm including means to indicate to the plunger when the arm snaps over center; and a spring within the collar and engaging the plunger for moving the plunger in a reverse movement thereby to overcenter the spring means and snap the arm in the opposite direction.

2. A positive feel actuator for simultaneously moving the operating buttons of a plurality of snap action electric switches to operate those switches, comprising: a U-shaped yoke in the open end of which the switches are mounted; a mounting collar fixed on the closed end of the yoke; an operating plunger extending through said collar and movable longitudinally thereof; the legs of said yoke each being provided with an elongated opening; an actuator arm of general rectangular shape and provided with a central opening and having an inclined side portion from the opposite ends of the upper portion of which extend ears which are respectively engaged within said elongated openings for pivotally mounting the arm on and between the side legs of the yoke; a projection extending downwardly from the closed end of the yoke; horizontally disposed lugs extending from the lower end of said projection and lying in a substantially horizontal plane extending through the pivots by which said arm is mounted in said yoke; said arm including an upper horizontal side portion remote from said ears and connected to said inclined side portion by L-shaped end portions at opposite sides of said central opening, the horizontal lower portion of said L-shaped connecting portions being aligned with the operating buttons of the switches; rocker spring means compressed between said upper horizontal side portion of said arm and said lugs; longitudinal movement of said plunger towards the switches moving said arm about its pivots and overcentering said spring means to snap the arm into engagement with the operating buttons of the switches thereby to operate the switches; said arm including means to indicate to the plunger when the arm snaps overcenter; and a spring within the collar and engaging the plunger for moving the plunger in a reverse movement thereby to overcenter the spring means and snap the arm in the opposite direction.

3. An actuator as specified in claim 2, in which there are three switches fixed in the open end of the yoke and in which the inclined side of the arm carries an inwardly projecting ear that is disposed in the same plane as the lower horizontal portions of the arm and is aligned with the operating button of the center one of the switches.

4. An actuator as specified in claim 2, in which the upper horizontal side of the arm is disposed above the plane through the yoke lugs and the pivots, and carries outwardly extending lugs that are engaged by the other end of the spring means.

5. An actuator as specified in claim 4, in which ears projected outwardly from the ends of the upper horizontal side of the arm engage the yoke at the upper edges of the openings in the legs thereof to limit the upward movement of the arm about its pivot.

6'. An actuator as specified in claim 4, in which the plunger carries a shank of rectangular cross section that projects through a rectangular opening in the closed end of the yoke to prevent rotation of the plunger in the collar and in which the shoulder is disposed at the junction of the shank and stem.

7. An actuator as specified in claim 2, in which the indicating means comprising spaced apart ears carried by the upper horizontal side of the arm that project towards the center of the arm and said plunger carries a stem extending between said ears and having a head engage- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,470 Gordon Mar. 16, 1915 2,431,747 Fry Dec. 2, 1947 2,924,692 Campe et al Feb. 9, 1960 2,956,446 Ensign et al Oct. 18, 1960 

1. A POSITIVE FEEL ACTUATOR FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY MOVING THE OPERATING BUTTONS OF A PLURALITY OF SNAP ACTION ELECTRIC SWITCHES TO OPERATE THOSE SWITCHES, COMPRISING: A U-SHAPED YOKE IN THE OPEN END OF WHICH THE SWITCHES ARE MOUNTED; A MOUNTING COLLAR FIXED ON THE CLOSED END OF THE YOKE; AN OPERATING PLUNGER EXTENDING THROUGH SAID COLLAR AND MOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF; AN ACTUATOR ARM MOUNTED ON THE SIDE LEGS OF THE YOKE BY PIVOTS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEGS; ROCKER SPRING MEANS COMPRESSED BETWEEN THE END OF SAID ARM REMOTE FROM SAID PIVOT AND SAID YOKE; SAID ARM DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID PLUNGER AND SAID OPERATING BUTTONS FOR SELECTIVE OPERATIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PLUNGER AND SAID BUTTONS IN RESPONSE TO ACTUATION OF SAID ACTUATOR ARM AND UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SAID ROCKER SPRING SO THAT LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PLUNGER TOWARDS THE SWITCHES MOVES SAID ARM ABOUT ITS PIVOTS AND OVERCENTERS SAID SPRING MEANS TO SNAP THE ARM INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OPERATING BUTTONS OF THE SWITCHES THEREBY TO OPERATE THE SWITCHES; SAID ARM INCLUDING MEANS TO INDICATE TO THE PLUNGER WHEN THE ARM SNAPS OVER CENTER; AND A SPRING WITHIN THE COLLAR AND ENGAGING THE PLUNGER FOR MOVING THE PLUNGER IN A REVERSE MOVEMENT THEREBY TO OVERCENTER THE SPRING MEANS AND SNAP THE ARM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. 